An Eagle Flew Over My House Today

As I was sitting on the deck an eagle flew over my house. I didn’t actually see it at first as I was under the roof of the deck watching the birds at the bird feeder with my trusty camera.

I always have my camera when I’m sitting outside as you just never know what might stop in to say hello.

What I did see what a shadow. It caught my eye as it was a big shadow and it was moving fast. It disappeared and then I saw it again circling the yard.

Just to set the stage.

We have an eagles nest across the road, behind our house. It’s been there for more than 10 years and I’m not sure if it’s the same bald eagles or their descendants that are in it now.

You can hear them as they call to each other and when the young fledge they look bigger than their parents but without the white head and tail.

Every so often they get bombarded by crows. The crows dive-bomb the eagles on the nest or while they are in the sky and raucous cawing fills the air.

We don’t often get the eagles flying over the house as they usually head the other way over the water to forage for food.

Today was different though. The wind was blowing in the trees and the thermals were rising.

…and that’s when the eagle flew over my house.

Once I saw its shadow, I grabbed my camera and jumped off the deck. The eagle had just made a pass, so I couldn’t see, but it wasn’t long before it came out from behind the trees.

It seemed to be playing in the wind. One minute it was way up high and the next was down low soaring over the yard.

The thermals must have been swirling around as the eagle seemed to keep to a pattern. It would go out behind its nest, then curve around some large cedar trees, then over my yard, through more trees and back around the nest.

All the time, being one with the wind and going where it took it. I only saw it flap its wings twice in all the time I watched it as it did the circuit and soared and fell from great heights.

Amazing to watch and to realize that it wasn’t hunting, but just enjoying the rush of the wind beneath its wings.

At times the bird was lit up from behind as it soared towards the sun and all you could see was the white of the head and tail. Or as it went behind the tree all you could see was the tail disappearing into the greenery.

It was over all too soon as I stood in awe in the middle of the yard.

Sometimes, I feel like I should be “doing” something productive instead of sitting on the deck watching the birds but for me, it’s like stopping to smell the roses.

It’s that one moment in time that was so incredibly awe-inspiring that I would have missed had I not taken a moment to “be” instead of “do”.